1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst for the production of aromatic hydrocarbons and a process for the production of aromatic hydrocarbons using the same and, more particularly, to such a catalyst producing the aromatic hydrocarbons with a high yield and having a long catalyst life and to a process for the preparation of the aromatic hydrocarbons with a high yield.
2. Description of Related Art
As processes for the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from aliphatic hydrocarbons using a zeolite catalyst, there are known various processes including a process using as a catalyst a strongly acid zeolite such as ZSM-5 as disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokoku Nos. 42,639/1981 and 23,368/1983 as well as in Japanese Patent Kokai Nos. 92,717/1978 and 140,934/1981; a process using a basic catalyst with platinum supported thereon as disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokoku No. 57,408/1983 as well as in Japanese Patent Kokai Nos. 80,333/1984, 133,835/1983 and 22,614/1983; a process using as a catalyst an oxychlorinated L-type zeolite with a noble metal supported thereon as disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 168,539/1985; a process using as a catalyst a crystalline aluminosilicate with platinum or a fluoride supported thereon as disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokoku No. 16,781/1975; a process for reaction in the presence of a halogen compound using as a catalyst a X-type, y-type or L-type zeolite with a metal of the VIII group of the periodic table supported thereon as disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 15,489/1985; and a process using a catalyst in which platinum is supported on an L-type zeolite treated with a halogen-containing compound, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,865 and 4,761,512.
The process using the strongly acid zeolite catalyst suffers from the disadvantages that a large quantity of decomposed gases are caused to occur and a yield of aromatic components is very low. The process using the basic catalyst with the platinum supported thereon offers the problems with a low activity and with a short catalyst life although it can provide a high yield of aromatic components. All the other prior processes present various problems in that some are insufficient in their yield of aromatic components and other have a short catalyst life.
Other conventional processes using catalysts likewise may suffer from the disadvantages in that a yield aromatic components is low and/or the catalyst life is short or present the difficulty that steps for preparing the catalyst are complex.